Schumacher medical files suspect found hanged

A man suspected to be involved in the case surrounding Michael Schumacher's stolen medical records has been found hanged in his prison cell, according to Zurich prosecutors.

The man, whose name has not been released, is said to have worked for Swiss air ambulance service Rega, which was involved in the organisation of the transfer of Schumacher from a Grenoble hospital to Switzerland on June 16. A statement said the suspect was found dead in his cell on Wednesday morning having been apprehended the day before for the violation of patient privacy and medical secrecy. It added there was no indication a third party was involved in man's death.

Soon after Schumacher's move to Switzerland his manager Sabine Kehm confirmed the theft of the documents, which French newspaper Le Dauphine Libere reported were offered up for sale to various media outlets for around 60,000 Swiss francs (£39,000). Schumacher's medical files had been shared with all the medical and rescue teams involved in planning the move. The records were never published.

Schumacher suffered severe head injuries while on a skiing holiday in the French Alps on December 29 and had been treated at Grenoble University Hospital, where he spent six months in a medically-induced coma. Details of Schumacher's condition have not been released to the public in that time, with official updates on his progress coming through statements from his family and manager.

The man, who was due to be questioned on Wednesday, denied the allegations.